Creamy Without the Cow

The Eclipse brand of plant-based ice cream and soft-serve alternatives stands out for its key ingredients: oat, potato, and corn. The basic formulation also includes cassava, organic cane sugar, and non-GMO canola oil.

“We broke down dairy into its fundamentals, and we said, ‘Let’s put in ingredients that really replicate those fundamentals,’” says Aylon Steinhart, cofounder and CEO of Eclipse Foods. “The ingredients we’re using come together as a system to replicate the taste and texture of dairy.”

Cofounded by Thomas Bowman, a former director of product development for Hampton Creek (now Eat Just), Eclipse Foods is able to mimic the micelle structure of dairy, explains Steinhart, referring to the microscopic structures composed of casein proteins. “Through our processing, we were able to create micelles within our formulation,” Steinhart says. The company’s lineup of foodservice offerings and retail pints includes flavors such as Peanut Butter Brownie and Mango Passion Fruit.

Eclipse Foods is just one of many startups innovating in the nondairy frozen dessert category—a space that increasingly also includes large traditional ice cream (and gelato and frozen novelty) brands, such as Jeni’s; Froneri’s Häagen-Dazs; and Unilever’s Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Talenti, and Magnum brands. A recent online New York Times review article and many blogs tout “best vegan ice cream” pints and frozen novelties. Popular products include store brands such as Target’s Favorite Day nondairy frozen desserts made with almond milk and Trader Joe’s various oat milk–based pints and bars and its Hold the Dairy! line of vegan chocolate frozen novelties made with coconut milk.

Founded by Sotiris Tsichlopoulos, previously an artisan ice cream maker in Greece, Wildgood distinguishes itself through the use of extra virgin olive oil to impart creamy texture to its large selection of nondairy frozen desserts. The pints range in flavors from Triple Berry to Caramelized Fig.

Sunscoop, which stresses that its products are allergen-friendly as well as dairy-free, recently introduced Sundrops, a frozen confection with an ice cream analogue base consisting of organic coconut milk, organic cassava root syrup, organic oat milk, vanilla extract, organic coconut cream, and other ingredients. Sundrops come in four SKUs: Salted Caramel, Mmmint Chocolate, Cookies ’n Coconut Cream, and Cookie Whoa!

The Ben & Jerry’s brand offers nondairy exclusives in addition to dairy-free versions of its traditional ice cream lineup. Made with a base of almond milk or sunflower butter, noteworthy pints include Colin Kaepernick’s nondairy Change the Whirled (caramel frozen dessert with graham cracker and chocolate cookie swirls) and Stephen Colbert’s nondairy Americone Dream (vanilla frozen dessert with fudge-covered waffle cone pieces and a caramel swirl). The newest nondairy SKUs are Lights! Caramel! Action! and Oatmeal Dream Pie.

Given the large assortment of brands and products in the nondairy frozen dessert category, its rapid growth is not surprising. The global market for plant-based ice cream alternatives approached $1.6 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $4.3 billion by 2033, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10%, according to Future Market Insights.

Innova Market Insights—which looked at dairy-free ice cream, frozen yogurt, and frozen novelties—reported a CAGR increase of nearly 9.3% in new product launches internationally from 2018 to 2022 across the three segments. By far, the United States has been the top country for those nondairy launches, accounting for more than 30% of total launches, states Innova in a special report for Food Technology.

“Dairy-based ice cream and frozen yogurt remain very popular with product developers, but, globally, nondairy ice cream and yogurt posted the strongest new product development growth,” says Lu Ann Williams, Innova’s global insights director. “Some of the major platforms driving growth are premium and value-added products, as well as seasonal launches with unique flavors and formats.”

For example, NadaMoo!, which manufactures dairy-free ice cream made primarily with organic coconut milk, offers the limited-edition seasonal flavors Pumpkin Pie and Peppermint Bark in the fall and winter. Founded in 2004, the company continues to innovate, launching a no-sugar-added line in four classic ice cream flavors in 2021. Most recently, the company debuted Frozen Snack Bites, which resemble mochi but are not rice based, in such SKUs as Mango (with a strawberry coconut milk center) and Orange Crème (with a vanilla-flavored coconut milk center).

“While there is much innovation in flavors in dairy and nondairy ice cream, the traditional flavors of milk chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry continue to be the most popular with product developers globally,” observes Williams. “While oat is the on-trend ingredient across all kinds of dairy alternatives, it is seen more often in new nondairy ice cream and [other] frozen desserts [41% CAGR from 2018 to 2022]. Coconut oil is a major ingredient, but oat is growing fastest. Pea and rice are also popular as added proteins.”

Known for its pea milk products, Ripple Foods, for one, combines protein from yellow peas with coconut oil and various emulsifiers and flavoring agents to create dairy-free ice cream alternatives in several flavors, from Cookies & Crème to Cinnamon Churro.

Planet Oat offers oat milk–based pints in eight flavors, while Oatly! has a larger lineup that includes 11 pint flavors, vanilla and chocolate Mini Cups, and four SKUs of dipped bars.

Addressing Consumer Needs

Achieving the rich and creamy texture of dairy ice cream is a formidable challenge for manufacturers of plant-based frozen desserts. Writing in Dairy Foods magazine, dairy experts Steven Young and Bill Sipple advise food technologists to “start at the end” and find the best path to get there. If the goal is an allergen-free frozen dessert, for example, certain of the popular nutmeat “milks” that are available might not be suitable, even though they may provide desirable mouthfeel and texture if combined with the right ingredients and additives. Indeed, the formulation of plant-based, ice cream–mimicking frozen desserts is highly complex, involving mix viscosity, flavor compatibility, desired product color, fat agglomeration, heat-shock resistance, and many other factors, Young and Sipple point out.

Danone North America’s So Delicious brand of nondairy frozen desserts leverages a wide assortment of formulations to meet the needs and preferences of different consumers. The firm offers alternatives to ice cream made with cashew milk, almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk, or its proprietary Wondermilk (containing coconut oil and pea protein, among other ingredients).

“The beauty of using plant-based ingredients in frozen desserts is that each contributes differently to texture, mouthfeel, and sensory attributes, creating limitless possibilities to deliver an indulgent experience,” notes Takoua Debeche, chief research and innovation officer at Danone North America. “We consider everything from freezing temperatures to processing techniques to minimize crystallization and enhance creaminess in our product formulations.”

Plant-based proteins are particularly important for achieving the optimal texture for frozen desserts, Debeche continues. “Certain plant-based proteins have wonderful functionality, similar to dairy,” she says, “but it’s important to select the right proteins to create the right consistency and texture for plant-based frozen desserts.”

Launched in March 2022, the Wondermilk line of dairy-free frozen desserts includes two varieties of cone frozen novelties—Salted Caramel Sundae and Vanilla Peanut Sundae—as well as five different pint SKUs: Buttery Pecan, Vanilla, Chocolate Cocoa Chip, Cookies & Crème, and Strawberry. “The frozen novelties segment continues to be a priority for So Delicious,” Debeche says, noting that the cones join a lineup that includes sandwiches and bars. Consumers choose frozen novelties as a quick treat, while they like to savor the pints, she adds.

Plant-based frozen desserts should be as indulgent and delicious as their dairy counterparts, agrees Lisa Vortsman, chief marketing officer–North America Ice Cream for Unilever. That was top of mind for the Talenti brand when it recently introduced dairy-free gelato in four flavors, two of which are part of its Gelato Layers line: Dairy-Free Gelato Layers Chocolate Fudge Brownie (made with cashew butter) and Dairy-Free Gelato Layers Blueberry Crumble (made with oat milk).

“As a brand, Talenti wants to ensure that our culinary expertise and commitment to craftsmanship is not only reflected in our messaging but also in the flavors we offer,” says Vortsman. “When developing the nondairy range, we wanted to make sure that the new flavors were additive to our existing offerings, reflective of our brand DNA in being culinary-led, and each with a unique Talenti twist to bring excitement to the nondairy category.”

As Vortsman notes, Dairy-Free Gelato Layers Chocolate Fudge Brownie leverages cashew milk’s nuttiness. The product starts with a rich layer of chocolate nondairy gelato, then a layer of brownie pieces, followed by a rich fudge chocolate sauce, another layer of chocolate nondairy gelato, and, finally, a bottom layer of chocolate sprinkles. In contrast, Dairy-Free Gelato Layers Blueberry Crumble harnesses oat milk’s sweet subtle flavor. The product begins with a layer of blueberry oat gelato, followed by muffin crumble pieces, a muffin crumble sauce, and ultimately a layer of vanilla oat gelato.

Mission-Driven Objectives

Eclipse’s Steinhart points out that many different types of consumers are seeking dairy-free options. It’s not just vegans, flexitarians, or individuals who are lactose-intolerant. Some people avoid dairy because of inflammation, for example, or acid reflux. One of Eclipse’s biggest success stories, he says, is the company’s partnership with Smashburger to produce a dairy-free shake, which is often consumed with the chain’s nonvegan menu offerings.

Whatever consumers’ reasons for choosing ice cream alternatives, many entrepreneurs in the category are mission-driven, committed to making the planet a better place by reducing dairy consumption overall. Steinhart, who previously worked for The Good Food Institute, emphasizes dairy farming’s significant global carbon footprint (contributing as much as 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions by some estimates). “My life’s mission, why I’m on Earth, is to get us to a more sustainable food supply,” he says.

Another innovative company—focused on “taking brave steps to make our world a kinder, greener one”—is Brave Robot, which is partnering with Perfect Day to produce “animal-free ice cream.” Founded by bioengineers, Perfect Day has developed technology for creating the dairy proteins casein and whey through precision fermentation in microbiota.

Brave Robot’s pint lineup includes many flavors—from traditional Vanilla to Raspberry White Truffle and Chocolate Cherry Brownie. In addition, the company offers two ice cream sandwich SKUs: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sammies and Mint Chocolate Chip Sammies.

Innova’s Williams predicts that such technology could have an increasing impact on the frozen dessert category. “Food tech companies are focusing on the perfect nondairy ice cream,” she says. “The next generation of nondairy ice cream may come through greater use of precision fermentation. At the same time, expect further innovation in plant-based proteins to give improved taste, texture, and nutritional value.”

Williams also anticipates more taste and texture experimentation in nondairy frozen desserts, as Generation Z acquires more spending power. “Novel flavors are finding a willing and experimental young audience that widely shares experiences,” she says. “These consumers are open to exploring cuisines and are responsive to positive engagement. Unique and anti-mainstream flavors can be used to get Gen Z’s attention, especially when the brand targets them as consumers.”ft